Impulse current testing

Michael Gamlin Haefely Test AG, Basle, Switzerland

Abstract: IEC time parameter definitions for impulse currents are explained and an overview of the IEC standards 60060-1, 60099-4, 61643-1 and 61312-1 in regards to impulse current testing is given. The different impulse currents such as exponential current impulses (ECI), lightning current impulses (LCI) and rectangular current impulses (RCI) are analytically described by their simplified circuit diagrams. The generation of the lightning current impulses (LCI) is more detailed explained and the impulse current system of the Shanghai Metrology Institute delivered by the Haefely AG is introduced especially in regards of lightning current impulse testing.

2.2. Rectangular current impulse (RCI)

Figure 2. Time parameter RCI

1. Introduction
The IEC standards 60060-1, 60099-4, 61643-1 and 61312-1 specify parameter tolerances for the different exponential current impulses (ECI), rectangular current impulses (RCI) and lightning current impulses. IEC 61312-1 standard gives a guideline how a lightning current impulse (LCI) for test purposes can be achieved.

Td : Tt :

Duration of peak of a rectangular impulse Total duration of a rectangular impulse current

2.3. Current rise

2. Time parameter definitions for impulse currents according to IEC standards

2.1. Exponential current impulse (ECI)

Figure 3.

Parameter current rise I90% - I10% t90% - t10%

i: t:

3. Overview of impulse current definitions according to IEC standards

Figure 1. Time parameter ECI

T1 : T2 : O1:

Front time Time to half value Virtual origin

3.1. IEC 60060-1: High Voltage Test Techniques; Part 1: General definitions and test requirements IEC 60060-1 defines several exponential current impulses as well as several rectangular current impulses by time parameters, peak values, polarity reversal and the permitted tolerances (see Figure 4.).

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3.2. IEC 60099-4: High Voltage Test Techniques; Surge arrestors; Part 4: Metal-oxide surge arrestors without gaps for a.c. systems IEC 60099-4 defines several exponential and rectangular current impulses by time parameters, peak values, polarity reversal, needed energy and the permitted

tolerances (see Figure 5.). Compared with IEC 60060-1 the tolerances for the time parameter for ECI varies. Furthermore the RCI is defined by time parameters and an energy demand for the test object. To simulate service conditions of an arrestor 4/10, 8/20, 30/80 and long duration current impulses are combined with the rated

Figure 4. IEC 60060-1 impulse current definitions

Figure 5. IEC 60099-4 impulse current definitions

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arrestor AC voltage (operating duty test ODT). 3.2. IEC 61312-1 (Annex C): Protection against lightning electromagnetic impulse, Simulation of the lightning current for test purposes, First lightning stroke Simulation parameters: Peak current: Charge: Ipeak

3.2.2. IEC 61312-1 (Annex C): Fast rise time portion The simulation conducted in accordance with this method covers the rate of rise of the current of short duration strokes i / t. The tail of the current is of no consequence for this kind of simulation. (see figure 7.)

Q s = i ( t ) dt
0

4. Simplified analytical description of different impulse currents

4.1. Simplified principle circuit diagram for exponential current impulses (ECI)

Specific energy: W / R = i 2 ( t ) dt Current rise: i= I90% - I10%, t= t90% - t10%

0

IEC standard 61312-1 (Annex C) splits up the first lightning stroke current into a high energy portion and a fast rise time portion. Both portions can be applied independently or in combination 3.2.1. IEC 61312-1 (Annex C): High energy portion The parameters ance4s are to be can be achieved decaying current (see figure 6.) Ipeak, Qs, and W/R with their tolerobtained in the same impulse. This by an approximately exponentially with T2 in the range of 350 s.

Figure 8. Simplified circuit diagram ECI

Figure 6. IEC 61312-14 (Annex C) High energy portion

Figure 7. IEC 61312-14 (Annex C) Fast rise time portion

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4.1.1. Aperiodic damped circuit (1/<20 wave shape)

1.00

R 1 , 2 > damping criterion , = 2L LC U0 1 i(t) = 2 ), e t sinh( t 2 LC L R 4 C t peak = ln( L C 1 + L C )

2

0.80 i(t) / Imax 0.60 0.40 0.20 0.00 -0.20 0 10 20 30 40 t in s 50 60 70 80

1 LC

1.0 0.8 i(t) / I max 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 t in s

Figure 11. normalized periodic damped ECI

4.2. Simplified principle circuit diagram for rectangular current impulses (RCI) An RCI impulse generator consists of 8 to 12 distributed constant impulse generators.

Figure 9. normalized aperiodic damped ECI

Above formulas show that the higher the damping (R ?) the shorter is the rise time (T1 ?) but the lower is the current peak (Ipeak ?) and the longer is the time to half value (T2 ?).

Figure 12. Distributed constant impulse generators for RCI

The formula below describes the relation between the used lattice network and the duration of the peak T90% (or Td).
n n 1.1 T90% = L tot C tot ; L tot = L i , C tot = n C, n = 8 ..12 2 (n 1) i =1

3.00 2.50 t peak in s 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 0 1 2 3 4 5

L 1 ; 2 = C L C L = 1 H, C = 9 F R0 = 2 t peak = 1.7 s => T1 1 s

700 A

600 A

10
500 A

RCI Ipk Td Tt

: 623.919 A : 3.500 ms : 4.318 ms

R / R0

400 A

Figure 10. Rise time versus damping for aperiodic damped ECI
300 A

4.1.2. Periodic damped circuit (4/10, 8/20, 30/80, switching current)

= R 1 , 2 < damping criterion , 2L LC U i( t ) = 0 e t sin( t ), L 1 2, LC 1 = arctan( )

200 A

100 A

1 ms

2 ms

3 ms

4 ms

5 ms

6 ms

7 ms

= t peak

Figure 13. Rectangular current impulse RCI, class 5 arrestor, Urated= 12 kV, 60 kJ

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5. Lightning current impulse generation (LCI, 10/350)

5.1. Detailed LCI circuit diagram

Figure 13. Impulse current system SSGA 100-150 (100 kV, 150 kJ) for arrestor testing according to IEC 60099-4 with ECI, RCI and operating duty testing

4.3. Simplified principle circuit diagram for lightning current impulses (LCI)

Figure 15. Detailed circuit diagram LCI

5.2. Function principle LCI circuit By the ignition of the main spark gap the energy stored in the charging capacitors capacitance C1 is transferred to the external inductance L2. Shortly before the impulse current reaches its peak value the crow bar spark gap 1-2 is triggered by the impulse voltage generator. To achieve a fast rise time of about a few hundred ns for the impulse voltage generator current an extremely low inductive peaking circuit has to be integrated. The voltage drop of this fast discharge current across the main circuit inductance L1 finally ignites the crowbar spark gap 2-3 and the crowbar switch is closed. A crowbar switch is a specific spark gap arrangement being able to be triggered under virtually no voltage condition. To fulfil the fast rise time portion the external inductance value L2 has to be chosen quite low (some H) whereas for the high energy portion the external inductance value L2 has to be in the range of some ten H. As soon as the crow bar switch is closed the time to half value T2 is determined by the time constant (L2+Lcrowbar)/(R2+Rcrowbar+RDUT). All component in this external circuit (crowbar, external inductance) must have a low resistive design and the current is measured by a Rogowski coil and not by a shunt. Due to the inherent crowbar inductance Lcrowbar together with the charging capacitors capacitance C1 an oscillation closely after the current peak occurs as to be seen in figure 16 and 17. To insure reproducible LCI impulse the controls of the main impulse current circuit and the impulse voltage generator must work together in a master/slave mode. The benefit of the master/slave mode is that a delay time can be adjusted and a triggering is only possible when both circuits are charged up.

Figure 14. Simplified circuit diagram LCI

i( t ) = U 0 =

C sin ( t ), 0 t (L1 + L 2 ) 2

1 , t1 = C (L1 + L 2 ) 2
R

( t ). U0 e 2 L 2 , t i( t ) = (L1 + L 2 ) 2

1 0.8 i(t) / I max 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 0 500 1000 t in s 1500 2000

Figure 15. normalized simplified LCI

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140 kA

120 kA

100 kA

No. 20 LCI Ipk di dt di/dt T1 T2 Qs W/R

: 116.885 kA : 93.508 kA : 9.876 us : 9.468 kA/us : 12.346 us : 357.878 us : 50.635 As : 3.135 MJ/Ohm

80 kA

60 kA

40 kA

20 kA

1 ms

CH2 : Shunt:5.000 mOhm Level:100% Sampling:7.500 Ms/s Range:800.0 Vpp Trigger:Level 10%

Figure 16. Fast rise time portion LCI

1
140 kA

120 kA

100 kA

No. 1 LCI Ipk di dt di/dt T1 T2 Qs W/R

Figure 19. Motorized crowbar electrodes with tungsten copper insertion to ensure a reliable performance
: 107.243 kA : 85.794 kA : 9.887 us : 8.677 kA/us : 12.359 us : 363.876 us : 46.187 As : 2.647 MJ/Ohm

80 kA

60 kA

40 kA

20 kA

1 ms

CH2 : Shunt:5.000 mOhm Level:100% Sampling:7.500 Ms/s Range:800.0 Vpp Trigger:Level 10%

Figure 17. Energy portion LCI

5.3. LCI circuit components

Figure 20. Control unit GC 223 for the impulse current circuit (bottom) and crowbar control CBC 220 (top) for adjusting and displaying the crowbar electrode distances

Figure 18. Impulse current system SSG 200-180 (200 kV, 180 kJ) for SPD testing with ECI and LCI

Figure 21. Low resistive, reliable resin cast coil design

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Figure 24. SPD exploded during LCI testing

6. Technical data impulse current system SSGA 200-180 and future extension possibilities
Wave shape max. current Ipeak 200 kA 100 kA max. charging voltage 100 kV 200 kV max. load 100 m 50 m

8/20
Figure 22. Motorized, low inductive crowbar design with peaking circuit

10/350

Extension possibility by integrating additional damping resistors and external inductances (metal oxide arrestor testing according to IEC 60099-4) 1/20 4/10 30/80 Switching current 30 kA 150 kA 60 kA 3 kA 200 kV 200 kV 100 kV 100 kV Ur= 12 kV Ur= 12 kV Ur= 12 kV Ur= 12 kV

Figure 23. Test chamber with connected SPD ready for testing

Author address: Michael Gamlin Manager Engineering HVT Haefely Test AG, Lehenmattstr. 353 CH-4052 Basle, Switzerland Email: gamlin.michael@haefely.com

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